Dear Family
by Machlassie
Summary: As the world crumbled around him, the only source of light left was in his mother's smile. But as it too faded from the world with his father's life, Inigo was left in the dark. Though lost and afraid in this darkness, he keeps a smile on his face as he strives to return the light to his life; to fulfill his dream of returning to his parents' arms.
1. Prologue: Goodbye and Hello

**Dear Family**

**Prologue: Goodbye and Hello**

**A/N: Since I've begun playing Fire Emblem: Awakening, it would be an understatement to say that I have become obsessed with Olivia and Lon'qu. My cute meter exploded when I read their Supports and at around 12 o' clock midnight (my insomnia keeping me up) this story came to mind. I warn you that I have yet to finish the game so it will not follow the storyline directly. Also, I did switch up a few things (i.e., time of birth) so that it would go along with my story. **

The world was a dark place. With scavengers lurking behind every corner and bandits raiding the villages of its few rations of food, the people turned their backs against one another, forgetting about the bonds they had once shared. In times like these, it was an eat or be eaten world. No longer could one differentiate between friend and foe and very slowly, humanity tore itself apart; greed taking root in the hearts of man.

Images of corpses left to rot on the roads, of a sunless sky, of a hopeless tomorrow; these were the images the people witnessed every day. Yet even so, despite the horrid visions that greeted the people on a daily basis, to one man, there was no other sight that tore his heart to shreds than the one that played out before him.

Sitting in a darkened room which once served as his parents' bedroom was a lone figure. Hunched over, her long flowing pink hair covering her like a blanket, she wept as her trembling fingers gripped a silver ring; her wedding ring. The band was embroidered with shimmering diamonds while a rare pink gem sat in the middle; the craftsmanship impeccable. It was one-of-a-kind, much like the owner. Yet as it gleamed, the owner wept.

Throughout the entire destruction of their world, she had remained strong; never allowing a single tear to be shed. But now it seemed her strength derived from one person. Her husband, slaughtered on the battlefield, was gone and taking with him to the grave, his wife's peace. He was the dam that kept her emotions at bay and the moment he died, all the emotions she had stored up came rushing in in giant waves. The only item to be left from him was her wedding ring...

Inigo couldn't bear the sight and shut the door behind him, her muffled sobs still audible through the wooden barrier. "Dad..." He called for his father as he sunk to the floor. Although his father was once a legend on the battlefield, all he was now was a memory. A memory that would someday fade away like the peace his world once knew.

All night he listened to his mother cry until it seemed exhaustion finally took over for her. Having not budged from his spot outside the door, Inigo rose from the floor and peeked in. His mother was lying on her side, her legs dangling off the edge of the bed and her hands clasping the ring to her chest. She was asleep as he had expected though he doubted she was as peaceful as she appeared.

Gingerly, he resettled her under the covers, and, upon noting the ring she still gripped tightly, felt his lower lip tremble. All day he had tried to remain strong for his mother and had thus refused to allow himself the chance to mourn his fallen father. Tracing over the ring with his finger, he recalled the man who raised him.

He was a silent man who let either his sword or his actions speak for him. Though he came off cold, Inigo knew all too well of the warmth he had within. The days he held him up on his shoulders as they made their way through Ferox, the way he would pat his head whenever he did something praiseworthy, and the arms that would embrace him whenever something was wrong; all of it he tied to the man he called his father.

Whatever pain he may be feeling now, he was positive his mother felt it ten times more. Gripping her hand, he recalled the final words his father spoke to him before he departed from their home.

"_Protect your mother, son. She's one of the few things I have left along with you."_

Such simple words, Inigo didn't know they would ever become such a heavy weight as he never thought the day would come when he had to fulfill them. Quickly wiping away the tears he felt building up beneath his eyes, he muttered, "I'll protect her, Dad…Because she's all I have left now…"

**XxxxxxX**

Since the day he made his vow, Inigo had joined the battlefield with a small brigade led by the young lord of Ylisse. Though this band, formed of children who, too, had lost their parents, fought with everything they had, the world continued to see darker days. Their effort was fruitless. They were only human; insignificant creatures trying at a futile attempt to change history. What chance did this handful of children have to change the tides against such enormous odds?

But there was a way.

Granted to them by Naga was the single opportunity to change the world. If they could traverse time and remedy the mistakes made over a decade ago, then there was a possibility that this future would never be; that the lives stolen would return. For these children, that alone was enough to persuade them to take the journey. Stakes were high as even Naga was unsure whether they would be able to complete the trip to and from their destination. Those minor details didn't matter to the children so long as they could see their loved ones again.

With most of the children having lost their parents, they had nothing to bid goodbye to other than the war-torn world they grew up in. Inigo, though spared the misfortune of burying two parents, found that he felt no luckier than the rest of them…

**XxxxxxX**

The door to the house opened but there was no one to greet him. The inside remained just the way he had left it all those weeks ago. The way his father had left it all those weeks ago. Had he not been the wiser, he would have believed the house to be deserted.

With quiet steps, Inigo neared his parents' bedroom and very gently pushed open the door. The light poured in revealing the woman on the bed. She sat upright against the headboard, her skin so pale she resembled a living porcelain doll. "I'm home, Mom," the dark haired child said.

Olivia didn't respond as her soulless eyes remained set on her lap where her hands lay clasped. Unbothered by her silence, Inigo proceeded to make his way to his mother's side, taking a seat at her bedside. From up close she appeared ten years older and all the more fragile. He found it hard to believe that this was the same mother he always referred to as beautiful while growing up.

He gently took her hand in his, noting that it was neither warm nor cold, and squeezed as he began to feel the tears building up. Quickly putting on a fake smile before the tears could fall, he choked down his sobs and took the time to let his sadness melt away.

"I'm going to go away for a while, Mom," he spoke gently after recomposing himself. She had yet to acknowledge his presence but that didn't deter her son from speaking to her. "I'm going to bring Dad back home to us," he continued. "Then we can be a family again." As he found himself swallowing more tears, he ran his rough fingers over her soft knuckles before running his free hand along her cheek. "And then I could see you smile again."

He rose from his seat then embraced her, his composed façade breaking as his tears made their way to the surface. "I love you, Mom…"

In her catatonic state, Olivia failed to respond to his words and touches and eventually he pulled away. Wiping his cheeks, he looked her over once more and then saw, sitting between her fingers, her pink wedding ring. With shaking hands, he gingerly pulled the item from her loose grip and stared into her face. "A good luck charm," he asked her teasingly.

When she didn't reply, he stared at the ring in his palm. "I'll take care of it, Mom…" Giving her one final hug and kiss, he made his way to the door. Just as he was prepared to shut it and once again leave her in the dark, he whispered, "Goodbye, Mom…"

As the door clicked shut and the last remaining light vanished from the room, Olivia, with her eyes cast downwards on her hands, whispered her son's name before warm tears of her own began running down her cheeks.

**XxxxxxX**

"Is everyone ready?"

Standing at the Outrealm Gates, the children of the heroes before gazed at one another, all of them unsure of their answer. They knew not what was beyond the gate and they knew even less if they could accomplish what they were setting out to do. Yet the hope that they could see their parents again, that outweighed the fear they had of their possible fate.

With his mother's ring held so tightly in his palm it was bound to leave a mark, Inigo was the first to answer Lucina's question. "Well of course Lucina. You honestly don't think we plan on turning back now, do you? We have a world to save."

He was joined by a chorus of his friends and allies who too agreed with him. Lucina, glad to see the riled up crew she had gathered, couldn't help but smile as an overwhelming amount of joy and hope flooded over her. "Very well," she nodded. "Then let's go."

On cue, Naga began the ritual and before long the children would be returning to the past, to the world where the chaos began. With heavenly light surrounding them, the children transcended time…

**XxxxxxX**

All he could see was his mother and father hovering over him. They appeared younger but Inigo couldn't be fooled. _"Mom, Dad…" _He wished to call out to them but his words failed to be formed.

"You're crying again, Inigo," his mother said. She sounded tired, but her voice was nonetheless still soothing. "Is something wrong?"

He heard his father chuckle as he began extending his arms down towards him. "Come here Inigo," his father's deep voice said softly, "I'll take care of you."

As his father's arms reached for him, Inigo reached back, suddenly finding that his arms were chubbier and awfully shorter than he remembered. Casting aside those details, he continued to call for his father, reaching for him. "Dad…"

He gripped something and immediately pulled it close. "Dad…Mom…" His fingers ran over his newly found object and found that this was unlike how his parents felt. Last he remembered, his father had a full head of hair.

Before his mind could differentiate between his dream and reality, the old man, who was currently having his naked scalp held down by the unconscious boy, decided he'd do it for them. With a great fist, he bonked Inigo on the head, waking him from his sleep.

"Ow!" Inigo yelled as he sat up, the images of his parents quickly fading from his mind.

Recomposed after his ordeal, the old man muttered, "Looks like that did it."

Inigo looked back strangely at him, ignoring the throbbing pain radiating from his cranium. "Do I know you," he asked.

As the old man disappeared out of the small room, mumbling incoherent mutterings the entire way out, Inigo tried to recall his whereabouts. "There was the war," he mumbled, "and dad and mom…and then…" He suddenly let out a gasp as he remembered the ritual. "Did it…Did it work?"

Raising himself from the mattress the old man had graciously put him on, Inigo clambered over to a nearby window and peered out. Outside he could see villagers, animals, and the sun in the sky. There was no war, no danger to be seen. This was definitely not the world he was accustomed to seeing every morning.

He stepped back from the window and as he did so, his hand brushed the outside of his chest pocket where he felt something protrude from it. Reaching in, he retrieved the item and gazed at it as it sat in his palm. It was Olivia's pink wedding ring, one-of-a-kind.

"So I made it back, huh?" Inigo smirked as he glanced back outside, at the world before his birth. "Well then. Hello world of yesterday."

**A/N: Thanks for reading. I do apologize if it seemed rushed, but I didn't see a need to explain the whole ritual process and the crew meeting up. Plus I was too excited to get to the part where they actually reunite.** **Anyways, I would like to know what you guys thought; where I can improve and all that other good stuff.**


	2. Chapter I: Ray of Light

**Chapter I: Ray of Light**

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and advice. I'm usually not such a lazy writer but for some odd reason I got really excited about uploading this story that I neglected to take my time to edit and proofread. (I do have a tendency to mindlessly spell random words and type like a caveman when I'm rushing.) No more laziness! I promise that the chapters from now on will live up to your expectations.**

The sun was slowly disappearing behind the western horizon and though Chrom had planned to reach Valm by the end of the day, he quickly postponed their trek; the exhausted faces of his comrades persuading him to do so. Stopping in his tracks, he hollered to his soldiers around him, "We make camp here tonight."

There was no arguing with the leader – not as if they disagreed anyhow – and they began arranging for the night.

As the others took to setting up their tents and preparing dinner, Olivia, with Maribelle's pestering, slipped away from the campsite. Though she had gone unnoticed by the majority of the crew as they chatted among one another, Lon'qu, with his hands busy on the tent before him, kept her within his sight until she vanished into the forest.

"You will go after her, no?" The accented voice could belong to none other than Gregor. He stood behind the younger swordsman and noticed his eyes as they followed the beautiful dancer.

Lon'qu, after tying down the last corner of his tent, rose from his kneeling position and began to walk off towards the carriage in which they carried their excess supplies; Gregor following him the entire way. As he dug through the equipment, he replied to the mercenary, "She's only going to wash herself. The other women will watch after her."

"All more reason to follow her, yes?"

At his words, Lon'qu's features flinched as his face began to redden; images of his female allies and wife bathing filling his once clean mind. The image brought out a feeling of unease as he found himself beginning to sweat. Gregor, sensing his discomfort, let out a chuckle to lighten the mood and patted the young man on his back. "Gregor understand. Lon'qu, he is loyal man to lovely wife."

Feeling a little more relieved with the women out of his head, Lon'qu proceeded with gathering his items he had initially begun to seek before Gregor had distracted him. The redhead continued to remain at his side, watching him as he picked up the supplies, then raised a curious eyebrow. "You will set up another tent? For who?"

"Who do you think," Lon'qu grunted as he began to haul the tent supplies to his working space. He intended to set this one up right alongside his.

Thinking long and hard, the mercenary could think of no other person Lon'qu would do a favor for. The only one that came to his mind was the man's wife. "Olivia?" When Gregor didn't get a response, he assumed he hit the nail on the head. "You pull Gregor's leg," he exclaimed, "You are husband and wife. You must sleep in same tent. In same bed!"

Vaike and Frederick, who were both tending to the fires and meals, caught wind of the conversation at hand and joined in, albeit Frederick unwillingly.

"You're kidding me," Vaike's voice added as he approached the two. "With a girl like Olivia and you still prefer the company of an empty tent?"

While Frederick pried his collar from Vaike's fingers, he said, his hands working on smoothing out his shirt, "I find it rather admirable, Vaike. In case you haven't realized, we are in war. We ought to be using our nights for gathering sleep, not tomfoolery." Satisfied with the smoothness of his shirt, he shifted moods to stare sharp daggers at Vaike. "Speaking of which," he added, "I must ask that you either move your tent or occupy another one as you are within too close of Milord's sleeping quarters."

"Yeah? And what of it?" The blonde man sneered back.

Remaining calm and composed, Frederick responded in return, "Chrom has stated that he has had difficulty going to sleep as of late; reason being that he continues to hear Lady Maribelle's voice throughout the night. Surely you would know something of this?"

"Hey if Chrom finds a problem with it, he can feel free to move. But the Teach here doesn't plan on going anywhere."

"Then I will be forced to disassemble your tent if you refuse to comply."

"Oh yeah? I dare you to try."

As the two bickered back and forth Lon'qu felt grey hairs forming as his hands clenched the canvas so hard it was bound to leave permanent wrinkles. At this rate, regardless of whether he wanted to or not, it looked as if he would be sharing the tent with Olivia for the night. Hopefully, she wouldn't mind.

**XxxxxxX**

With their steeds keeping watch for Risen - or the occasional peeping tom - a good portion of the women, just as Lon'qu had predicted, were tending to their personal hygiene. Olivia, having been dragged here by Maribelle, stared uneasily at her allies as they swam in the spring; all of them unembarrassed by their nudity.

As Maribelle took to removing her own clothes, Olivia remained where she stood, her hands locked before her. Though she knew there was nothing to be ashamed of seeing as how they were all women, the dancer had no desire to join them; the idea of their eyes on her bare body giving her an anxiety attack.

It wasn't until Maribelle was in the water did she notice Olivia had failed to follow suit and still remained on the bank. "Won't you join us, Olivia darling," she asked.

"Oh, uh...N-no. I'm fine over here." She waved back.

"If you're worried about any of the boys, there's no need," Cherche chimed in from across the spring. She was tending to her beloved wyvern, running her hands along its cranium as it lowered its head. "Minerva here will warn us of any extra bodies. Won't you girl? Yes you will!"

Robin, who was bathing just beside the wyvern lover, nodded in agreement. "Besides, I'm sure Lon'qu will keep the boys at bay for you. Though, I can't say the same of some of the other husbands." She passed a glance towards Maribelle as she said so.

"W-well…" Olivia began to nervously fiddle with her top, deciding whether or not she wanted to remove it to join the others. She felt it would be rude if she were to walk off on them since they wanted her company so felt she had to comply. Besides, it was not as though she didn't want a bath either. Even in war she still wanted to remain clean especially when she traveled with her husband.

Just as her top was coming off, Minerva, who had been enjoying her master's caresses, suddenly stiffened upon sensing a disturbance come within proximity to the woman's spring. By her reaction, Cherche could see it was no mere peeping tom and immediately reached for her lance, the others following suit.

Eventually, the sound of wyvern wings could be heard from above and before long, their Risen trespassers made their appearance. With bowstrings pulled taut, the ominous creatures rained arrows down upon the women. As Minerva became Cherche's and Robin's shield, the other women took cover underneath the trees, their training giving them the agility to avoid some of the incoming arrows.

Olivia, though not as nimble as the others, made a dash towards Maribelle to help her out of the water. "Where's Vaike when you need him," she heard her grumble as she pulled her to land. Once the noble regained her land legs, the two made for the nearest tree. Behind them, they could hear Minerva let out a shrill shriek as an arrow made its way past its skin.

The shrill startled Olivia, causing her to look back and upon doing so, managed to spot the arrow coming straight at them. Without much time to consider her next action, using all the might in her slender body, she brusquely shoved Maribelle away from her, the momentum from the shove causing her own self to stumble to the ground.

"What was that – " Before Maribelle could give Olivia a good scolding, the arrow which had initially been aimed at them pierced the ground between them, silencing her words.

"S-sorry," Olivia said as she pushed herself up by her hands. However, she was given little time to gather herself before the next arrow was shot. This one came straight at her and she was defenseless while not on her feet.

Shutting her eyes, she braced herself for the impact and hoped that if anything, the arrow would pierce an easily repairable appendage. However, instead of feeling a sharp pain, she felt a warm body surround her which was followed by the sound of metal against metal. "I've got you." A deep voice told her.

Alerted to the action by Minerva's cry, the men back at camp had come rushing. Fortunately the spring was hardly even a walk from camp and they arrived in record time.

Though she didn't need to open her eyes to know who had just saved her, Olivia wanted to see her husband. With an arm around her shoulders, he looked down at her, concern written in his usually calm features. "Are you alright, Olivia," he asked.

She wanted to reply that she was fine, dandy, anything of the sort, but the closeness he held her at made her beet red. "Oh gosh," she muttered. "I'm sorry. This is so embarrassing…"

Seeing her shyness made him redden just the same but he didn't pull away. Rather, he passed her a smile and ran a finger over her cheeks. Somewhere along their romantic journey, Lon'qu had found the blush that always donned her cheeks to be rather cute; a word he rarely used to label anything. He helped her to her feet then, after looking over her for any scratches, he switched his attention towards the Risen. "I'll make this quick."

With the help of Robin's magic quickly dismounting the wyverns, the Risen plunged to the ground where they were fated to meet Lon'qu's razor edge. Deftly and swiftly, he rid the beasts on his side of the playing field while Vaike and Chrom took their fair share of the load on the other end.

Just as quickly as they had come, the Risen disappeared just the same and peace found its place once again. As each went to check on their corresponding other half, Olivia, on light footsteps, approached Lon'qu and before any words could be shared between them, she launched herself at him, throwing her arms about his neck.

Her actions nearly caused him to stumble, but, after getting a firm grip on her, the swordsman regained his footing. "I love you so much, Lon'qu," she said into the crook of his neck.

Turning an even brighter red, Lon'qu glanced around at the others, noticing that they were too occupied with their own spouses to pay him any mind, and whispered back rather fiercely, "D-don't say that so loud!" Despite his words, he tightened his arms around her petite waist and lowered his head so that his lips were just beside her ear. "But I love you, too…" He concluded.

Lucina, who had come upon the scene at the last second, studied the two and raised a curious eyebrow. Since reuniting with her father, she had been studying the crew she was traveling with and had been matching them with their potential child. Lately she had been eavesdropping on Lon'qu and Olivia and wondered if they could possibly be _his _parents.

The physical similarities shared between Inigo and Lon'qu was rather uncanny and there had also been the rumors of Inigo having some amazing dancing abilities. Though she hadn't been able to conclude this herself, she found it wasn't an impossibility. But then there were the facts that threw her for a loop. Inigo, if her memory served right, was an all-out womanizer while his potential parents couldn't even stare at one another without becoming all blushes. "They couldn't be, could they?"

She had initially planned for only herself to hear that but as fate would have it, her words were caught in the ears of someone else. "Eavesdropping, young lady?"

"F-father!" She quickly turned around and was quickly met with the stern face of her beloved father and mother. By their stances, she could tell they wanted an explanation. "Uh, I was just uh…"

While Chrom let out a hopeless sigh, Robin gave a little chuckle. "You're becoming as red as Olivia," her father muttered. He wrapped an arm around his child's shoulders and guided her from the forest. "Apparently we failed to teach you about people's privacy in the future," Chrom said. "Guess we'll embed it into your mind now while we have the time."

Oblivious to Lucina's prying, Lon'qu and Olivia remained where they stood while the others around them returned to camp; most of them leaving upset over their disturbed bath. Before long, they were alone; their only company being each other, the trees, and the spring. Realizing that Olivia had not accomplished what she had wanted, Lon'qu, while averting his gaze, whispered, "Did you…want a bath?"

"Oh…N-no. I'm alright," she replied back.

Lon'qu was unconvinced as he turned his back to her. Casting aside her claim, he said,"I'll keep watch. Just…be quick, won't you?" With Olivia's eyes set on him the entire way, he made his way to the nearest tree and settled down behind it; the wide trunk obscuring him from her vision.

Though she wanted to object, Olivia decided that doing so would create a rather more awkward situation. Instead, she knelt down beside the spring and very slowly undressed, looking over her shoulder every once in a while, before slipping in.

Upon failing to check the temperature of the water, she let out a yelp as the sudden chill bit at her pale skin. Quickly following her startled squeak, was a rustle coming from Lon'qu's direction. Fearing that he would come out to check on her, she said shakily, "I-I'm alright!"

Lon'qu let out a satisfied grunt before resettling his nerves and loosening the grip on his sword. For such an elite dancer, she sure had her share of clumsy moments. Yet, as much as he hated to admit it, her clumsiness made her all the more perfect in his eyes.

Taking a glance at her from his spot behind the tree, he spotted the rose-haired beauty surrounded by water that glowed with the moonlight. Such an enchanting scene but in Lon'qu's eyes, the moonlight was unnecessary to perfect the image. So long as Olivia continued to radiate, Lon'qu had no need for any other source of light as they all dimmed in comparison.

As he was still taking in her beauty, Olivia finished her bath and waded into the shallow end of the pond. Around this time, Lon'qu found it was the appropriate time to turn away and he waited to hear her announce her completion. However, as he waited, he continued to hear the water swishing and before long, her meek voice called out to him. "Um…L-Lon'qu…? I forgot my towel…"

As his cheeks began to burn red, the swordsman gave a hopeless rumble as he muttered, "This woman…"

**XxxxxxX**

Another village saved from Risen. Inigo was proud of his handiwork. Though, he wished the villagers would have been just as proud; particularly the women.

"We're very grateful for the help," the young milkmaid said. "I know it's not much but please, accept this loaf of bread for your travels."

Inigo stared at the loaf, still steaming from its bake, and gently shoved it away as he shortened the distance between himself and the young lady. "I would much rather prefer the company of a beautiful young lady such as yourself over food despite how tempting it may be."

Unamused by his flirting, the milkmaid simply passed him a gentle smile. "I'm afraid flattery will get you nowhere, though I do appreciate it."

The young man gave a sigh. Where had he heard those words before? Admitting defeat, he took a step back, delivering to the woman her stolen space, and took the warm loaf into his hands, mumbling a weak thanks all the while.

As he prepared to take his leave, the villagers waving him off with their gratitude, the warmth of the bread that radiated in his hands reminded Inigo of someone and he stopped mid-step. Turning back to face the farmers he had saved, he spoke, "If I'm not being too selfish, perhaps I can ask for one other reward?"

The villagers swapped glances among one another, each of them wondering if there was a girl desperate enough to satisfy him. "What is it, lad?" The village elder asked.

"I was wondering," Inigo began, "if you would know, or heard rumors of, a dancer with hair matching her blush traveling with a band of soldiers."

"Hm…" The old man looked into the moonlit night sky as he rubbed his white beard, pondering all the while. "These days, bands of soldiers are a common sight. Castaways, villagers, orphans, and the like gather together to form them. I couldn't tell you if your specific dancer was involved with the ones we have spotted."

"Ah," Inigo mused, "But you would know this dancer if you saw her. She has her own radiance; making the sun and the moon pale in comparison."

"Well, if that's the case, then I must disappoint you. We know of no such person."

"I see." Inigo nodded, his smile hiding the frustration within his heart.

"But if such a woman comes by, we'll be sure to tell her of your search," the man said, trying to lighten the mood. "Surely if you're scouring the land for her, she must be doing the same for you."

Inigo smiled. "Much thanks, though I think that will be unnecessary." Last thing he wanted to do was give his mother the idea that she had some stalker. Not only would it give her an anxiety attack, but he doubted his father would take the news all too well either. Proceeding with his departure, he waved farewell to the villagers. "Fare thee well," he called to them, "If any other problems come up, you can count on me to be here!"

With that said, he disappeared behind the hill leaving the villagers to picture the woman he had described. "A woman who's shine is more brilliant than the sun…" They mused. To describe someone as such, they figured the young man must really love whoever she may be…

**A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter seemed slow and uneventful, but I sort of planned on this section to "set the stage" and give a starting point to this tale. Hopefully, things will begin to pick up soon after this. Until then, thanks for reading and as usual, feel free to tell me your thoughts, criticisms, and whatnot.**


	3. Chapter II: Reunion

**Chapter II: Reunion**

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and follows. I wish I could deliver these chapters at a quicker pace, but this story likes to clog up in my mind. I don't like to rewrite the game (since I'm sure we've all played it) but at the same time if I skip those parts, things seemed rather rushed. Hopefully, this chapter was worth the wait. Oh, and though I know this is mainly a Lon'qu/Olivia/Inigo story, Robin and Chrom do play a major role since I've decided to spruce up the game's storyline. Thanks for reading, and enjoy.**

After battling their way across the seas; such events involving them to swim at one point, Chrom and company eventually reached the continent of Valm, which, in comparison to the raucous of the skirmish they had recently endured, was eerily quiet. Not a person was out to greet them and every village resembled a ghost town.

As they walked through the port town they encountered, searching for any soul who could aid them with their quest, Chrom couldn't help but feel as if he were patrolling the streets like a dictator would; ready to slice down any unfortunate person who was out and about. Perhaps in the eyes of those who were currently spying on them from their windows, that's what they believed him to be.

"Look at this, Robin," Chrom muttered to his wife, his face reading frustration, "Walhart has thrown his people into a state of fright. How can he possibly call himself a leader when all he radiates from his followers is fear?"

Frederick, who was never beyond an earshot of Chrom, caught wind of his conversation. "I agree with you, milord," he whispered back, "But though they have my sympathies as well, my concern lies in the fact that if we can't get these people to open up to us, we will be running headlong into death."

"What do you mean, Frederick," Chrom asked, turning to face his subordinate.

"Most of our weapons," Robin reluctantly answered, "went down with the ships… If the Valmese army is truly as enormous as they say, I fear we are ill-equipped to fight such battles." Knowing that she was the one who had devised the strategy to abandon ship, she felt especially guilty and kept her eyes on the stone pavement she walked.

Chrom, however, would have none of it and immediately placed a comforting hand upon her shoulder, causing her to raise her eyes to meet his gaze. His face had softened from his latest scowl as he passed her a smile. "Don't you go blaming yourself," he chided gently. "During these times, a sacrifice is necessary, but with you, the cost is never a fellow soldier. I'd rather head into battle with my bare fists long before I would ever consider heading in there without you or my brother-in-arms." He tucked a long strand of black hair behind her ear. "We'll find a way around this. We have a crew made up of very…enchanting people. I'm sure one of them can convince these people to lend us some of their services."

Despite the Shepherds' attempts at giving off good, harmless impressions, doors were shut in their faces or were otherwise ignored as they asked for help; their charm having gone unnoticed by the townsfolk. It appeared, at this rate, that it would be best to leave this port town behind and proceed onto the next; hopefully to one whose residents haven't been thrown into a similar state of fear. Olivia, however, would not be so easily deterred from her quest and continued to persist where her allies had quit.

"Please Lon'qu," she begged, her vice-like grip around his wrist unwavering, "There's one more store we haven't tried."

Exhausted from being turned away so many countless times, Lon'qu grunted and stood his ground. "What's the point," he asked her grumpily. "All these people have been scared into hiding. We shouldn't waste our time."

"But..." Olivia frowned at his pessimism and gradually weakened her grip on his arm while shifting her eyes downwards.

She had been at this for quite some time now which Lon'qu found to be rather odd considering that she was the last person, he thought, who should be concerned of their supplies. So long as she had use of her body and its appendages, she had no need to worry about whether or not they had weapons. The rare frown on her face made Lon'qu grimace as he averted his gaze. "Why are you so persistent about this anyhow?"

Fiddling with her hands, she whispered back shakily, "Well…I'm not really of much use to the others on the battlefield, so the least I could do is help during times like these…"

"Don't say that," Lon'qu chided softly, brushing gentle fingers along her jaw and raising her chin. They made eye contact and Lon'qu passed her a small smirk to erase the frown that had marred her pretty features. "But if you're going to be so stubborn about this," he continued, "then we'll give this last store a try."

As a smile grew on her lips, Olivia nodded before embracing him tightly.

**XxxxxxX**

Together, the couple approached the small store Olivia had spotted earlier and upon admiring the well-crafted tools that lined the walls behind the counter, one could tell at a glance it was an armory. Looking over the counter, Olivia called out shakily, "Uh…Hello?"

As Olivia was working on luring the blacksmith out, Lon'qu leaned back against a nearby building and watched her; admiring the determination she had within. Unfortunately though, he doubted her quest would find her much aside from disappointment, but from what he had learned through experience, as her husband, it was his duty to pick her up afterwards.

Sitting in his workstation just beside the counter Olivia stood at, an older man, his bald scalp surrounded by the few tufts of hair he had left, heard the gentle voice of the girl that called and cautiously took a peek out the window. He had heard the rumors of the arrival of soldiers and had thus retreated to the safety of his work station so as to keep his vow of offering no help to them. But at the sight of Olivia, he found he was having difficulty keeping with his promise. Surely he couldn't turn his back on a damsel like herself, could he?

The man's niece, who was tending to the fire in the back, watched as he rose to his feet and began making his way for the door. Alerted by his actions, she whispered fiercely, "What are you doing?"

"We have a customer," the blacksmith responded back dully, turning the knob and opening the door.

Before his niece could stop him, the man stepped outside where he came face-to-face with the goddess in disguise. Without the window between them, she was even more majestic as she seemed to sparkle with the sun.

"Can I help you," he said, almost regretting his actions and wishing he had stayed hidden.

"Uh…" Still amazed that her efforts had actually paid off, Olivia was at a loss of words as she suddenly became aware of his eyes that took her in. Shifting her eyes downwards towards her fiddling hands, she decided that in order to avoid sinking further into an air of awkwardness she would skip straight to the point. "Um…Actually, we were wondering if you would kindly lend our troupe some weapons..."

With a cold face, the man crossed his arms and asked sternly, "You expect me to believe a fragile thing like you is fighting in a war like this?" Before she was given the opportunity to speak, the man continued speaking. "Who sent you? Him?" Following his finger, Olivia found herself staring at Lon'qu who just now found it was the appropriate time to enter the scene.

"Actually," Olivia said more comfortably as she felt Lon'qu join her at her side, "he's my husband and we're marching with Chrom's Shepherds."

"Chrom's Shepherds?" The man repeated uneasily. He opened the door to his workshop and took a step in. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"And why not?" It was Lon'qu who stopped him in his tracks. Olivia had worked hard to get to this point and he would be damned if he was going to watch her leave empty-handed. "We didn't come from overseas to raid you or your people. If anything, it should be I who is untrustworthy of you. Your people are the ones who attacked Ferox, after all."

The man grimaced and reluctantly turned to face the swordsman. "You don't understand. If Walhart hears that I'm supplying weapons to the enemy, he'll have my head."

Lon'qu scoffed. "You'd rather live like a dog than die with pride? I've seen even the most cowardly of men stand alone in the face of danger. Show some backbone, won't you?" He turned back to Olivia and grabbed her hand with his own; a clash of smooth and rough. "Let's go, Olivia," he whispered, gently tugging her along with him.

"But…" Olivia saw that her words were of little use now as her husband's face reflected his unyielding determination. She looked over her shoulder just in time to catch the blacksmith retreat back into his workshop; disappointment laced in his features.

**XxxxxxX**

Hand in hand, the couple made their way back to the others who were anticipating the results. They stood among their allies with frowns on their faces, and in those frowns, they were able to relay their disappointment. Chrom, expecting nothing more as the result, simply passed the two and gentle smile and commented, "At least you two didn't completely come back empty-handed." He motioned towards their entwined fingers bringing about a blush to both of the meek lovers.

After giving a slight chuckle at the embarrassment he caused, Chrom returned solemnity back to his face. "I think it best we move on from this town. Clearly our presence isn't making these civilians any more comfortable to opening their doors."

Frederick, standing at his rightful spot beside him, agreed with his Exalt and said, "The scouts have just recently come back and have news that there is a village not too far away. Perhaps that is where we should head next?"

"What say you, Robin?" Of course, Chrom always needed a second opinion from his chief tactician – and now, wife.

The tactician seemed startled out of her thoughts, her mind clearly absent from the recent conversation. "Um, sorry?" Having no clue as to what words had been exchanged, she asked for a restatement. Of course she would receive no such thing as her husband immediately grew worried for her.

"Robin," he proceeded to ask her, wrapping an arm around her slender shoulders and guiding her to a more secluded area away from the curious eyes of the Shepherds, "Are you alright…?"

As the two spoke in private only a few feet away from prying ears, Vaike, who stood beside Lon'qu, muttered, "You think there's a rift in their marriage?" Of course, no one took to heart his comment as they were all conscious of the bond between the army commander and tactician.

"I think," Lon'qu responded gruffly for the others around them, "the problem lies more in the fact of what they witnessed at Plegia's castle..." That Robin had come face-to-face with a woman who possessed features just like hers must have definitely set off warning alarms. Then to later learn that she may be the daughter of Validar himself, must have really sent her mind reeling and leaving much on her plate to consider.

"We should continue on to the next village as planned," Lon'qu said to his blonde friend.

"Hear that Frederick?" Vaike clapped the general on the shoulder.

"I'll be sure to relay that to his majesty." Frederick responded absently, his eyes focused on his Exalt and his wife.

**XxxxxxX**

"Boo! Get off the stage!" The rowdy men in the crowd raised their mugs in preparation to chuck. The unfortunate dancer, conscious of the threat upon them, wisely scrambled backstage to meet his newly found friends who were all chuckling at his antics.

"Ah Inigo," the carriage coach said, clapping the young man on the back, "You sure do know how to put on a show."

Inigo didn't know how one could consider it a "good show" when said show ended with the performer being booed off stage. He spoke his mind with a puzzled expression on his face which earned him another pat on the back. "It's not the contents of the show that determine the quality, but the reaction it evokes," a fellow female dancer said. As if to emphasize the point, she pulled open the curtain they hid behind to reveal the men out in the pub.

Despite earlier threats of chugging mugs filled with booze and alcohol, smiles softened the men's gruff, hard-working faces as they laughed at the male dancer's performance. "He looked like such a clown," Inigo heard them sniggle.

Though this wasn't the particular way he wanted to be appreciated, he couldn't help but form a little smile of his own. "Oh well," he sighed, closing the gap in the curtains. Even with a war still waging around him, to be surrounded by so much laughter and smiles, he had to admit it was probably the most fun he had experienced in his whole life.

Of course, during such times, moods could easily be changed as it did when Inigo and his crew – with the exception of the female dancers – were booted from the pub. While laughter and happiness wafted from inside the pub, outside was a whole different environment.

"Leave him alone!" A little girl, no more than the age of six, covered an older man, no doubt her grandfather, who lay on the paved road. Three ruffians, armed with swords and axes alike, surrounded them, chuckling to one another in their sick way.

Sometime during the performance, bandits had made their presence known in the town. Helping Inigo off from the ground, the leader of the dancing caravan whispered into his ear, "I'll go get the girls. You should head back to the carriage; there's no point in getting mixed up with these folk." Inigo paid little attention to his orders as he continued to watch the scene play out only feet before him.

Another villager, a young lady this time, entered the fray, taking her spot between the ruffians and her family. Arms held outwards, she acted as the shield for the blades. "Please, don't do this," she pleaded. "We'll give you whatever you want."

Looking the young lady up and down, one of the bandits smirked before shoving her aside, closing in on her sister and grandfather. Desperate, she tried pushing them back only to find herself lying back on the ground. They were mocking her, she knew that, and frantically she looked around, hoping to gain help from any of her neighbors. The few that had remained to watch the brutes were frozen in fear and were in no position to offer any assistance.

It would be easier to turn the other way as the caravan coach advised, Inigo knew. But even with the sickening feeling in his gut, fear coursing through his veins, he knew he could do no such thing. There was a determination he had within his heart that overpowered the fear and pushed him into doing what his father would refer to as "dumb." "Dumb…But brave," he edited, chuckling.

As the girl made one final attempt to stop the bandits' advance towards her family, the tallest bandit, having lost his patience, decided this time to backhand her. "Get out of my way," he growled and raised his blade, preparing to send it crashing down on her.

It was at this time that Inigo made his presence known. Stepping behind the girl, he stopped her collision with the ground and while she was wondering how the ground had gotten so soft and warm, he blocked the oncoming sword with his own.

"Now this is no way to treat a lady," he lectured, gingerly pushing the girl aside and swiftly cutting his opponent across the stomach. Unbeknownst to his onlookers, he cringed as the sight of blood met his eyes, but his smile quickly returned.

Aware of their fallen comrade, the remaining two ruffians shifted their attention to the new arrival, allowing the elderly man and his younger granddaughter to stagger off. "Some people should learn to mind their own business," one of the men grumbled as they made a move to surround him. With the two big, burly men advancing on him, a sensible man would have tucked tail and run, but Inigo's feet remained firmly planted in place.

Once they were within striking distance, Inigo looked up at their faces and frowned. "I'm going to give you guys one chance to walk off with your lives." He raised an eyebrow. "Any takers?"

Their drawn swords, which shimmered dangerously with the sun, showed no sign of retreating back into their scabbards; at least not until Inigo's blood was smeared across them. Sensing that they were intent on taking his life, the young man sighed. "Very well," he said hopelessly, "Let us dance."

**XxxxxxX**

If the plume of smoke rising from the village wasn't a sign of trouble then the round of cruelly dressed, sword wielding soldiers had to be a dead giveaway. The Shepherds caught sight of the attack from their vantage point just a distance from the small farming community and awaited their leader's orders; though knowing Chrom, they most likely already knew what said orders would be. "What's going on down there," the Exalt asked as he caught up to the others.

"It would appear an attack has been made on the town ahead, milord?" Frederick informed. "Your orders?"

It was Vaike who, in his competitive spirit, stole the words from Chrom's mouth. "That goes without saying, doesn't it? We hit back twice as hard, right Chrom?"

The Exalt passed his rival a friendly smile. "Read me just like a book," he muttered, chuckling. Looking over the faces surrounding him, he called out, "You heard him. Let's go, Shepherds!"

As his allies around him charged into battle, Lon'qu remained where he stood, surveying the grounds he would be fighting on. Being a village as the venue, he assumed there would be countless bystanders and possible hostages. Though there were many people rushing to and fro in his line of sight, one character stole all his attention.

He was a young man with hair as equally dark as his own with agility and sword skills that were oddly familiar. He would have remained inconspicuous to Lon'qu had it not been for his strange actions. He was jumping from one store canopy to another and expertly running along rooftops. It wasn't until Lon'qu noticed the trail of bandits that pursued him did he realize what the young man was attempting. "The fool!" He grimaced. Unsheathing his sword he quickly rushed down to rescue the village idiot, hoping his legs would carry him down quick enough.

Olivia, noting her husband's different route to battle, saw that he had no one accompanying him, so rather than burden anyone else with the news, decided to trail after him herself.

As Inigo ran along the ground, knocking over fruit stands to tire his pursuers or fending off the bandit that would once in a while catch up to him, he was nearly forced into a skidding halt as a man, with features strikingly similar to his own, stepped in his path. His heart jolted in his chest as he gave the man's face a good look over. "D-Dad?"

Lon'qu, oblivious to what the boy was suddenly realizing, gripped Inigo by the shoulders and shoved him out of his way before they would crash headlong into each other. "Move," he shouted.

Inigo, too excited to care of his father's brusqueness, regained his footing to watch Lon'qu take out the remaining bandits who had been tailing him, a goofy grin on his face the entire time. "Dad…" He almost couldn't believe it. His dad, who was dead just a few weeks earlier, was now up and about before his very eyes; there was no mistaking it. The voice, the looks, the fighting style…They all belonged to him. He felt his throat tighten as the sobs threatened to come out.

As he fought back the urge to cry, knowing full well how his father would take it if he saw him crying now, a gentle voice spoke to him. "Uh…Are you alright…?"

Looking over his shoulder to face the owner of the beautiful voice, Inigo found himself staring at the face of none other than his mother. At once, he was at a loss for words. In the future, before the death of her husband, Olivia looked not a day older than when she stood before him now. His mind reverted back to the days of his youth as he recalled all the times he had looked upon his mother the way he was now. He was tempted to reach out and touch her soft features; ensure himself it was not a dream, but Olivia beat him to it.

Noticing the stream of red that ran along his wrist, a consequence of having been distracted during his chase, Olivia reached out and ran a tender finger along it. The cut ran deep, but nothing a few wraps of bandages couldn't handle. She freed a jar of medicine from her waist and poured it over the wound, causing him to cringe as it took effect; cleansing the gash of any potential viruses. Inigo watched as she then prepared to tear her own clothes to create a bandage and immediately stopped her.

"No, no, no," he said, nearly forgetting his current situation as he was recalling the days of his past. He pulled his arm back and took a stepped away. "It's quite alright," he assured her, "No need to ruin your clothes over this." He passed her a wink before rejoining the battle he had handed off to his father. It was ironic, he thought, that after the attempts he had made to find his parents, they were the ones who found him in the end.

Olivia, who watched the young man walk off, stared oddly back at him. Although she had noticed the wink he had passed her direction, she didn't feel her face begin to burn from embarrassment. Dumbstruck, she continued to watch him as he fought alongside her husband and she could have sworn that at some points during their fight, she was seeing double.

**XxxxxxX**

When the last of the bandits were slain and peace regained its throne in the village, Lon'qu, while whipping his sword free of the last drips of blood marring the blade, sought out the boy who was fighting alongside him. There was something about the way he moved that had been bothering Lon'qu throughout the entire battle. His sword skills had not been senseless and careless, quite the contrary, which was why it had captured his attention. His sword skills were similar to his own. Too similar for his liking.

While the villagers surrounding him thanked the Shepherds for their assistance, awarding them with trips to a local bathhouse, food, and weapons, the Feroxi swordsman spotted his target lying a little distance away from the others speaking to none other than his wife. The very idea of her speaking to another man in such a secluded area made him cringe, but he was more than mature than to go barging in on their conversation. Instead, he kept his distance, keeping a close eye on them.

After the battle, Inigo, though excited to reunite with both his parents, decided to meet up with his mother first as he was unsure of the reaction he would get should he confess to his father. He imagined he would be getting slugged in the face and be told to "get lost, freak." So, he had decided to approach his more sensible parent first; his beloved mother.

At first when he had asked her for a word, she appeared a little wary as her eyes shifted from one side to the other, as if searching for someone. _Dad, most likely, _Inigo chuckled to himself.

"Um, all right, I guess. But…How did you know my name?"

"A little bird tweeted it out," he replied though judging by her look, he could tell she was unconvinced. Regardless, he proceeded with his conversation. After having led her to the outskirts of town where there would be no prying ears or intrusions, he stared his mother up and down while he could feel beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. She was definitely his mother, no if's, and's , or but's about it. And perhaps it was because he knew it was his mother that he felt all the more nervous. "Let's see," he made an attempt to start, "Where do I begin…?"

As he fiddled anxiously before her trying to find the correct words to begin his conversation, Olivia looked the young man up and down, wondering what he could possibly be wanting to say that could cause such nervousness. "Er yes, you see…No, what I mean to say…" Continuing to fumble over his dictionary, Inigo passed his mother a meek smile and rubbed the back of his head. "Goodness, this is much harder than chatting up the other girls I've met. I suppose it would be quickest to show you this."

Reaching into his shirt, he retrieved from hidden beneath, a pink ring. _Her _pink ring. Olivia let out a gasp and took a step back as if he had stricken her. Lon'qu who had watch this scene unfold from a distance, had, unfortunately, assumed it as so. Clenching his fist and gritting his teeth, he began to approach the two, dark thoughts plaguing his mind.

"M-my ring!" Quickly, she shifted her eyes towards her left hand where, to her relief, her engagement ring remained. "But…I'm wearing it. How could you possibly…"

"Indeed." Inigo chuckled; glad that the conversation was taking the direction he had wanted. "How does Inigo have your ring when it is the only one in the world? Unless it is your ring and I brought it back from the future." He held the small item up by his eye, examining the beautiful craftsmanship of the Feroxi blacksmith who had crafted it, and prepared to give it to his mother so she could do the same. However, before he could do that, a calloused hand gripped his wrist – hard – causing him to cringe.

In a deep, cold voice unlike any he had ever used in Olivia's presence, Lon'qu whispered into his son's ear, "You better have a damn good explanation for taking my wife's ring."

Suddenly realizing who the young man was to her, Olivia jumped to his rescue. "Lon'qu, stop that." She scolded.

Both father and son, startled by the rise in Olivia's voice, turned their attention to her; Lon'qu unintentionally doing as he was told. The rose-haired dancer approached the two then extended her left hand out towards her husband. "My ring is right here," she assured him.

He grabbed her hand and led it to his eye where he could get a better examination of it. Sure enough, it was the one he had given her. "But then how…" He turned his eyes towards the ring in Inigo's palm and scrunched his face in thought. Inigo continued to stare at his father until realization finally dawned on his features. "Can it be? Are you my…"

With a grin showing off all his pearly whites, Inigo nodded. "Your one and only!"

Lucina, who was watching them from her spot on a nearby rooftop, overheard their conversation and smiled. "So I was right…" As she continued to gaze at the family, her heart warming at their reunion, Chrom, who happened to be walking by underneath her, noticed her espionage and released a sigh.

"Lucina…!" He hollered.

**A/N: Pretty random at the beginning, I know. But from here on out, hopefully it'll be smooth sailing. Thanks for reading!**


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